The secrets
by Theauthorstake
Summary: 1996, sixth year, January 1st. Draco is betrayed and helped by someone he resented. What happens when two lonely hearts find each other? Will they unite or be at opposite ends, follows the books cannon up to around November, Dramione!
1. Chapter 1

_**Explanation:**_

_It is the year 1996, Christmas Holidays._

_Harry Potter is tired of his friends refusing to speak to each other, he can't help lusting after his best friends sister, and he has been set the task to proclaim a certain memory from Slughorn._

_Ron is getting a little overwhelmed at the continued presence of Lavender Brown, his girlfriend who apparently thinks they should be together at all times._

_Hermione is drifting further and further into her own world. She is lonely and misses Harry and Ron, though she refuses to admit this to herself. Ginny tries to talk to her every now and then but the two just don't have that much to talk about._

_Draco Malfoy has his task, but he's struggling, his friends are also turning against him as he has become too secretive for their liking. He is lonely and feels he has no one to turn to, although Snape persistently offers him his help_.

**Chapter one.**

It was the first Saturday back from the holidays, and Hermione had spent the afternoon in the library. She had been completing an essay on human transfiguration and tried researching the half blood prince again, but with no luck. She was making her way back to the Gryffindor tower to return her books so she could head down to dinner, when she heard the noise. Someone was chocking, coughing roughly and dragging in their breath, seeming to struggle to get the air into their lungs. Hermione stood frozen in her footsteps searching, where was the noise coming from? She was finding it hard to tell.

Suddenly she jumped as something banged against the tapestry behind her and it swung forwards, revealing a hidden passage. But what was frightened her even more was the hand she could see on the floor, covered in blood.

She reached out and pulled the door properly open looking into the passage. There, on the floor lay Draco Malfoy, his white blonde hair speckled with blood, unconscious.

She was running as fast as her legs would carry her, she didn't know where she was going, but it was just to find someone, anyone. She raced around the corner and slammed into Professor Flitwick, they both toppled to the floor. Hermione jumped up again in a second apologizing over and over to Flitwick who seemed very disoriented as he tried to get up.

"Professor please, we have to hurry. Someone is hurt, he's bleeding I don't know what happened…" Hermione trailed off as she marched ahead of Professor Flitwick .

"Miss Granger please, what is going on?" He asked baffled jogging to keep up with Hermione's hasty stride.

"I'm sorry Sir, but honestly I don't know. I just found him there." Hermione stopped pointing to the door, which was still ajar with Draco's hand lying between the door and doorframe. The bright red blood dripping from his hand made his skin seem even more pale than usual.

"Oh my goodness!" Flitwick screeched, without hesitation however he summoned a stretcher and hovered Draco onto it.

"We need to get him to the hospital wing. Miss Granger if you wouldn't mind it would be very helpful if you were to summon Professor Snape, please."

"Yes, I will. But, but sir you don't think he's, dead do you?" Hermione asked timidly as she looked down at Draco's body, covered in blood, although now she really looked she saw no wounds.

"No, I don't. He's just unconscious and hopefully Poppy will be able to get him up and about in no time." Flitwick said, as he hurried off to the hospital wing.

Hermione let out a big sigh, she hadn't thought twice about helping Malfoy, but now she wondered if the roles were reversed would he do the same? She liked to think he would.

Since it was already around 6 o'clock Hermione thought that Snape would probably be heading down to dinner so she hurried off to the dining hall to find him. But she needn't go far since she spotted him in the entrance hall.

She quickly recited what had happened and told him he needed to go to the hospital wing.

"Very well then Miss Granger, but you should come with me." Snape said, and he marched off giving Hermione no more explanation as to why she needed to come with him.

In the hospital wing Hermione spotted Draco lying down on top of the covers on one of the beds. His face was clean; Hermione could see a purple bruise already beginning to form on his right cheekbone. But his blonde hair and white shirt were still splattered with blood.

"Draco. What happened, who did this to you?" Snape started to fire questions at him as soon as they walked through the door.

"How is he Poppy, is he alright? Is he injured?" Snape said giving Madame Pomfrey a stern look.

"He's recovering Severus, he needs to rest." She said, stepping in front of Draco who seemed to be trying to sit up.

Snape bristled rounding on Hermione.

"Where did you find him Granger? Did you see anyone? What do you know? Tell me!" He barked at her.

Hermione took a step back from him taking a deep breath as to steady herself.

"Well it was on the fourth floor, by the tapestry of the centaurs. There's a passage behind the tapestry you see, and I heard the thud as Draco passed out. But I didn't see anyone around, then when I saw him, Draco I mean, I ran to get Professor Flitwick." She said hurriedly cowering under the look Snape was giving her.

"Very well Granger, you may go. But if I find out you're not telling me the _whole truth_ you're going to be very sorry." Snape said, gesturing for her to leave.

Hermione didn't need to be told twice, she spun on her heel and marched out. Once in the corridor she let out a big breath. That had been extremely awkward and not to mention weird. Who had done that to Malfoy, and why had Snape reacted so over the top. She knew Snape favored Malfoy but he had seemed terrified at the thought that someone had wanted to harm his precious little Slytherin prince.

Hermione wandered around the corridors of the castle for a while not know where she was going, lost in her thoughts. The thing was that she had noticed that for the past few days Draco had been just as, if not more lonely than her. He was always by himself, and always seemed to be in a very bad mood.

AN: Thanks so much for checking out my story! Chapter two will be up some time in the next 24 hours! ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two.

On the following Wednesday Hermione had double potions with the Slytherins, she hated potions. It was bad enough having to work on her own not speaking to anyone, as she and Ron were no longer speaking and Harry seemed to be taking his side. But what was even worse was to have Slughorn simpering over Harry, not noticing that he was cheating.

The two full hours passed terribly slowly. Hermione noticed that Draco had switched work places now and was sitting on his own at a smaller abandoned table in the front of the classroom instead of with the Slytherins. He looked terrible, his bruises were gone but there were dark circles under his eyes, and he looked like he were about to faint. But that didn't seem to stop him gazing in her direction, she met his eyes every time she looked in up. Most times he quickly looked away, but once or twice his eyes flicked up and down searchingly.

Hermione wasn't the only one who noticed apparently, she overheard Ron and Harry muttering darkly together as their Babbling Beverages simmered.

As the bell rang Hermione was a little later than usual gathering her things together, she had broken a jar of Jobberknoll feathers and had had to stay behind to clean up. It hadn't taken more than a few seconds but by the time she had finished everyone had already headed up for dinner.

In the corridor outside the classroom Hermione noticed Draco, slouching against the wall, alone.

She didn't say anything, walking past him. The Draco she had known once would have hexed her, but this knew lonely, depressed Draco didn't look like he had it in him.

"Granger!"

She was only a few steps ahead of him, her back to him heading up the stairs. But hearing her name called out she froze, spinning on the spot.

"Yes?" she asked curtly, maybe she was mistaken, maybe he was going to hex her. Would he though? After she practically saved his life.

"I just wanted to say, err well thanks I guess." He mumbled looking at the floor.

"Right, you're welcome Malfoy I…"

"It's Draco." He said in a clipped voice.

His tone got on her nerves, why was he doing this. He was Draco Malfoy mudblood hater. If anything she would have thought that he'd be disgusted by the thought that it had been _she_ who had helped _him_.

"You're welcome Draco." She said spinning round and starting up the stairs, then she stopped her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Who did it?" She asked, turning to face him again, the word's slipped from her mouth and she blushed, wondering whether he would answer her or just tell her to fuck off.

Draco didn't say anything, he just eyed her suspiciously. Hermione sighed and turned, heading up for dinner.

She hadn't told anyone about her helping Malfoy so there was no reason to tell anyone that he's thanked her. She was feeling quite befuddled at his actions though. He had been so, civil towards her. As if they were only meeting for the second time, as if he had put their 5 year feud behind him. Hermione sighed as she pushed her chicken around her plate, contemplating the homework she had to do. These days she seemed to have more free time than ever, she figured this were mainly due to the fact that she had nothing to do, other than home work. She only had one assignment unfinished and that wasn't due until Friday.

She looked up as Harry heaved himself onto the bench opposite Hermione, looking a little worse for wear.

"Hey, you okay?" He said as he piled food onto his plate.

"Fine, you? Going to practice?" Hermione said taking in his appearance.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Oh, yeah we have a game coming up in only a month and we need to be prepared. We're setting up this new strategy, it was Ron's idea he…" Harry trailed of, catching the look on Hermione's face. He sighed.

"Well, I bet Wonwon is having the time of his life." She said laughing bitterly.

"Yeah, well I wouldn't know." Harry said a little sadly.

Hermione didn't feel like adding to the conversation, as far as she was concerned Ron could go snog his girlfriend all he wanted. She didn't need him, and she didn't need Harry mentioning him every chance he got. As if Hermione would all of a sudden remember how great Ron was and go running back to him, begging forgiveness.

"Hermione please, can't you try and make peace with the situation? He didn't mean to hurt you!" Harry said giving Hermione a look she knew all too well. He thought she was being stubborn and overly dramatic.

"Harry leave it!" Hermione snapped at Harry. She was in no mood to get into a fight and this had all the makings of one.

Just then Ron sidled over, his arm around Lavender, who was as always giggling.

"Well, that's my queue to leave." Hermione said under her breath to Harry, who sighed and started shoving the rest of his potatoes into his mouth.

As she hurriedly stood up Hermione banged into the bench, her bag fell to the ground half it's contents fell on to the floor. Rolls of parchment bouncing in all directions, Hermione's face burned as she bent down to pick up her things. She heard Ron and Lavender have a hearty laugh, evidently at her expense. As she stood up she even heard Lavender whisper some snarky comment about her hair to Ron.

Face red as a brick and her eyes burning with the tears that were threatening to spill over Hermione half ran out of the great hall and out of the front doors of the castle.

It was January and the grounds were covered in snow the air a couple degrees below 0, but still.

Hermione didn't feel the cold as she sprinted towards the east bridge. She needed air, she needed to clear her head, to get the image out of her head. Ron and Lavender, Lavender and Ron, Wonwon and Lavlav. It was _too_ much.

She hadn't been looking ahead as she ran and she shirked as she slammed into a tall figure.

They both toppled to the ground, Hermione landing on top of this, someone. She felt the stings as snow got up under her skirt onto her thighs and down her blouse onto her chest.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking, I didn't see you."

Hermione said clambering up awkwardly as she tried to get up without soaking herself in snow once more.

"Well obviously, what were you thinking? Decided just to go out for a little jog did you?" A very familiar voice sneered.

AN: So chapter three will hopefully be up asap. Also I love ALL reviews, good and bad ;)


End file.
